#dex deserves the world

[im-cool]

Lets start a movement

Dex and Biana on the cover of book ten

#they deserve the world #lets do it #kotlc #biana vacker #dex dizznee

[away-ward]

At least he got her flowers.

Her own boyfriend couldn't be bothered but the best friend she's fighting with sent red roses. Yeah, this was always going to end well...

#reading one day #chapter 8 #completely over the top he says #as if she doesn't deserve the world #dex and will are two different characters i get that #but at least ian never had to deal with will because he clearly doesn't know the meaning of OTT

[where-dreams-dwell]

*One Day Netflix Spoilers*

You can interpret it however works for you, and I don’t know how it played out in the book, but I loved the scene where Em and Dex got together.

Because Emma *chose* Dexter. When she didn’t have to, when she had other options, knowing all of his baggage, and knowing that they would probably be able to stay friends if she didn’t. And she still chose to start something romantic with him.

Emma was at the highest point of her success: a published author, signed for a second book, sent to live abroad in an exciting new city. And she’d started seeing someone who (from the little we see) is kind, charming, and cares for her. Emma is winning in every sense!

And she initially rejects Dexter. Her reasons make sense; she doesn’t feel he truly *wants* to be with her, just that she’s there and he’s lonely. She is sure of herself and her place in the world, and turns down the man she used to crush on because she wants it to be real. When given this opportunity were not shown a knee jerk, desperate, ‘oh my god, finally, yes!’ moment when he says he wants to be with her. She was NOT waiting on this, and she’s not PINING for him. It actually shows huge strength that when the man she used to like finally wants to be with her, she has the inner strength to say no and stick to what she deserves; a proper relationship with someone who truly wants her, not a placeholder.

Dexter lays his heart on the line, leaves himself competent venerable, and Em says no.

You could interpret Em coming back as unsatisfactory: a woman in her prime, going back to the man she’s been pining over most of her adult life. But it can also be seen as an empowering moment.

Emma knows all of Dexters issues and chooses him anyway. Dexter has literally just laid out his current headspace and issues, and it’s clear she was supporting him as the divorce was announced and agreed upon. And previous episodes show they’ve been close throughout Dexters marriage and fatherhood, with Em stopping in at his job and answering his late night calls. She’s been his best friend again for several years and knows his struggles, so she is going in to any romantic relationship with her eyes open.

Reducing Emma’s choice to being a silly or naive one I think misses huge parts of who she is, things which are key to her characterisation. Throughout the series she’s shown as intelligent, savvy, switched on and determined. Even when she’s unhappy or trying different things, she is sure in her conviction to do *something*. When she’s unhappy at the restaurant and Dex suggests teaching she makes a career change and trains. When she’s at her lowest (post headteacher affair and loosing Dex) she turns rock bottom into a spring board and tries once again to write her novel.

Emma is the embodiment of conviction. Whether it’s knowing what she wants or just knowing what she doesn’t, she is decisive and commits to her path. She’s the perfect foil for Dex who’s lesson across the series is to stop running from difficult feelings, and learn to process unpleasant emotions.

So she didn’t choose Dexter on a whim, and I love that they showed that. Em leaves Dex, turns him down, and goes to dinner with her lover in the city she’s loving living in, while doing the job she always wanted.

And she could have left it like that and they would have likely remaking friends. They did after that kiss at Tilly’s wedding, and after they slept together. So she has nothing to loose by rejecting him.

But Emma *chooses* Dex. She knows herself and what she wants, she knows who she is and what she is now capable of. What she wants, if it’s on the table, is to be with Dexter. So she commits to it.

They could have made her jump at the option to be with Dex. The writer could have had them get together when Dex was at the height of his fame or Em at the lowest point of her life. And either of those could have easily had a sense of fear on Em’s part: to be equal to Dex, to be good enough for him (in her head), to finally make it. But doing it this way gives her all the power, all the agency. And I *love* that.

From comments later it’s clear their relationship was good, they do work well together and they make one another happy. We’ll never know how Emma’s life could have gone if she stayed with Jean-Pierre. But the life she chose with Dex *was* happy. As Ian said ‘[Dex] made her so so happy’: wether you think she could have done better or deserved more, a life with someone who makes you happy… isn’t an insignificant thing.

We’ll never know if it was *the right* choice to be with Dex. But seeing how happy she was it’s clear it was a *good* choice. And that’s all we can ever hope for.

#spoilers #one day #one day netflix #emma morley #dexter mayhew #the power of choosing #female characters

[jedi-enthusiast]

My [completed] CodyWan Fic Masterlist

This is going to be a very long list of all my favorite CodyWan fics that are completed. Later on today or tomorrow I'll make another list for all of the CodyWan fics I enjoy that are currently ongoing/incomplete (because we, in fandom, need to start supporting authors during the writing process instead of only after, but that's a whole other post).

The fics are gonna be separated by Modern AU, Canon-Divergent/Canon-ish, Crack, and Canon But a Little to the Left. Full Disclaimer: this is going to be a very long list, so the triggers and descriptions will be brief--make sure you read the tags and warnings before reading!

I don't know who these authors are on tumblr, so I can't tag them, but I recommend that you guys tag them if you recognize them--because they deserve all the love <3 and I think, especially now, we need to let fic authors know that we appreciate them.

Modern AU

212th Street Coffee by thosewhowanderwithfire 

Cody runs a coffee shop, Obi-Wan comes in frequently with a different members of his friends/family and Cody learns a lot about his crazy life by eavesdropping.

bury me beneath the tree i climbed when i was a child by stormwarnings 

Obi-Wan's family life is messy, to say the least. Cody and his family work as firefighters/EMTs/etc. and Obi-Wan kinda just gets adopted into the family by constantly needing to call the firefighters/EMTs/etc.

Coruscant Story by TyeDyeBoogers

A mafia AU thing where Obi-Wan and Cody are both in different mafia families, but then they date each other pretending to be regular normal people (bc neither of them know they're in the mafia, much less different families), and then a bunch of stuff happens and drama ensues.

TW: Murder, Violence

cradle my name on your tongue by jynx 

Running from an abusive ex, Obi-Wan and Anakin move to a small town where they set up their tattoo and piercing shop. Obi-Wan quickly falls for Cody, the florist across the street, but bad things happen when Obi-Wan's ex just won't give up.

TW: Violence, Abusive Relationship, Drugging, Attempted SA (this doesn't go into detail, but it's still there)

Foreign Affairs by ro_moray 

Obi-Wan and Anakin come to America as foreign ambassadors, Cody is one of their bodyguards. Both Obi-Wan and Cody fall head over heels quickly, and there's some political drama via Maul.

TW: Violence (I think?)

Hey Bartender by Wxlves 

Obi-Wan and Cody both work as bartenders at Dex's, they become FWB, and feelings ensue.

I've Served My Time In Hell by TheSleepingOne (SleepingNebula) 

There's a zombie apocalypse going on and Obi-Wan is repeatedly fucked over by the universe in the form of being forced to spend time around his ex, Cody, and Cody's very protective family.

TW: Violence, Gore

Liminal Beings by ChubbstheFish 

Cody is the lighthouse keeper in a small town with his family. Obi-Wan and his family move into said small town and become close with Cody's family, but it quickly becomes clear that Obi-Wan and his family aren't exactly what they seem--aka human.

Not Denial by spqr 

Obi-Wan is a PI and Cody is the sorry moron who falls head over heels for him after meeting him exactly once.

TW: Violence

Seeker Prospector by brigitttt

Cody is a bounty hunter looking for his father, Obi-Wan is just trying to study dinosaur bones. The two meet, fuck, and then catch feelings.

TW: Violence, Mild Gore (I think)

We’ll Do This Together by MageOfCole 

Obi-Wan and Cody have a one night stand and Cody accidentally gets Obi-Wan pregnant (of the trans variety, not the a/b/o variety). Obi-Wan tries to hide this from Cody and his family, but Obi-Wan's family doesn't know how to mind their own business. Family hijinks ensue.

What…a sleep over? by Wixiany

Cody's family decides to host a party, but he needs to study, so he heads over to Anakin's brother's house to get some peace and quiet. He wasn't ready for how pretty Obi-Wan was.

You Gave Me the World that I Wanted by Legogirl22 

Cody has to take care of his family, so he swears up and down that he won't fall for the cute bookkeeper he keeps seeing. He fails. Miserably.

Canon Divergent/Canon-ish

A Ghost or a Man by smallandangry 

Obi-Wan makes a life for himself on Tatooine, eventually Cody finds him, and the locals get attached to both.

A New Life by cwiptids 

Rex and Echo hear about a clone on Tatooine...guess who they meet and take another guess as to who they're married to.

end of the road by adiduck (book_people)

Obi-Wan and Cody spar before Utapau and make unfulfilled promises.

Glimpse Of Us by fingerstripesofchaos 

Post-Order 66 angst fic, just like...loads of angst. This is not a happy fic at all, it made me cry.

TW: Suicide Mention/Reference

Haven’t Felt Like This My Dear by Bluebellstar

Cody gets a hangover and is a total baby about it, Obi-Wan is very amused.

little white truths by imperiousphasmid 

Obi-Wan gets injured and only family and spouse(s) are allowed to see him...I think you know where this is going.

Made by Walking by piotsa  

After Order 66, Quinlan finds Cody and then Cody finds Obi-Wan.

not dead yet by keylimemagpie (QuickSilverFox3)

✨ smut with emotions ✨

Our children our future (that we didn’t know of) by Feniksiara   

After Order-66 Cody finds out that the Kaminoans decided to use Obi-Wan and Cody's DNA to make Force-sensitive clones...then the Mandalorian dad genes kick in.

Standard Operating Procedures by galateaGalvanized

A mission goes wrong and suddenly almost the entire 212th is in love with Obi-Wan...except, it appears, Cody. Y'all know exactly where this is going.

all the world in my arms by biscuityskies 

Obi-Wan has nightmares after Kadavo, then shit goes to hell on a mission, and Cody worries--also Anakin and biscuityskies' OC Hex are little shits.

where the fields are painted gold by biscuityskies

The 212th end up crashing in the forest, so Obi-Wan and Cody get some "camping out in the forest" cuddles and also banter.

night spar by cabezadeperro (minigami) 

Obi-Wan and Cody spar at night, and there is a lot of tension. Not of the fun kind, though.

chain of command by cabezadeperro (minigami) 

Obi-Wan and Cody are undercover and eventually have to find some way to keep the people tracking them from finding them. If you've watched Marvel, you know where this is going.

In the Treetops by ebw_writes499 

After a mission on Kashyyyk everyone needs to go to bed, which they do...all the way up in the trees.

Caretaker by ebw_writes499 

On Tatooine, Cody gets sick and Obi-Wan has to take care of him. Obi-Wan is a worrier.

Love Despite the Distance by ebw_writes499 

After the war, Cody and Rex comm each other to catch up. Also Cody became a senator against his will.

Overworked by ebw_writes499 

Obi-Wan and Cody both had the same idea and that idea was "sneak off to take a nap."

Compartment Syndrome by elwenyere 

After a bad crash, Obi-Wan is knocked out and Cody is injured. Cody carries Obi-Wan through all the danger while reminiscing, certain that he'll be decommissioned after due to his injury.

TW: Mild Gore? (of the "description of injury" variety)

Good Soldiers by elwenyere 

A story about Obi-Wan and Cody throughout the War and after Order 66, with a happy ending.

Don’t Worry It's A Very High Threadcount by goldleaf1066 

Obi-Wan uses a blanket to warm up instead of Cody and Cody is very fussy about it. It gets a little angsty near the end, but things end good.

And Our Faces Toward the Sun by goldleaf1066 

The War ends and Cody and Obi-Wan share a kiss.

I'll Bend Your Light Around Me (A Sunrise At My Back) by goldleaf1066   

A sweet little story about Obi-Wan and Cody throughout the war, with a happy ending!

Stepping In, Stepping Out by goldleaf1066   

Cody and Obi-Wan take turns covering for each other when they oversleep.

With Both Our Hands Around It by goldleaf1066

Obi-Wan and Cody discuss their relationship while also participating in some extracurricular activities.

Crack Fics

Compulsive Honesty by afoundling 

Cody, Obi-Wan, and some of the 212th get dosed with truth serum and just have to let it run its course.

Fools and Idiots by BehindBrokenWindows 

Somehow everyone gets it in their heads that Obi-Wan and Padme are fucking, and Anakin is not happy when he finds out. We all know who he's really fucking.

Operation “who’s kriffing the General” by Sweet_bubbs 

Everyone finds out that Obi-Wan is in a relationship with someone, but they don't know who--but boy do they want to find out.

Resignation in more than one sense by BitterChocolateStars   

Obi-Wan tries to resign, Mace is a little shit (affectionate) and says no, and hijinks ensue.

Time to Celebrate by Kurosaki224   

Kurosaki's OC just wants to talk to his superiors after the war and ends up seeing a lot more than he wants to.

Rex finds out by The_neurodivergent_nerd   

Exactly what it sounds like.

The Trickster by The_neurodivergent_nerd  

A long dead Sith lord has a great sense of humor.

Canon But a Little to the Left

closed together by numbika 

Obi-Wan is blind AU where Obi-Wan and Cody get stuck in an elevator together.

I Got My Head Checked by frostbitebakery   

Sith Obi-Wan AU where Cody falls in love with Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan changes the course of the War because Cody and his brothers make him realize he still has his heart.

TW: Violence, Self Harm (of the "making a sith" variety)

Marriage in Disguise by bjjones   

Oops! Looks like to make peace with Mandalore, the Jedi will just have to send Obi-Wan to get married to Cody, son of Manda'lor Jango Fett. They totally weren't dating before this.

We’ll Meet Again by little_dumpling

Obi-Wan doesn't become a Jedi Knight and instead works in the MediCorps and becomes a doctor, then he ends up meeting Cody on Geonosis.

TW: Medical Gore (I think?)

What came after by galateaGalvanized  http://archiveofourown.org/works/29595831 

Obi-Wan has gone full Sith and is on Mandalore, Cody and the 212th go to get their general.

#ao3 fanfic #star wars #codywan #fanfic #sw prequels #the clone wars #codywan fanfic #codywan fic recs #fic recs #holy shit this was longer than I anticipated #this took me like 2 hours to put together so y'all better be grateful #possibly triggering

[utilitycaster]

Fighter Breakdown Tracker, episode 3x78

Welcome to what was originally an opportunity to talk about the myriad wizards (not Myriad wizards, a separate concept) of Campaign 2 that occasionally gets co-opted into other things when the thought arises. Anyway, obviously the main event was the Barbarian Breakdown and, relatedly, the Party Breakdown, due to their Communication Breakdown, giving Allura Vysoren specifically her 19th Nervous Breakdown, but I've already talked a lot about Ashton. How are the fighters doing?

As a reminder: characters are included on the basis of 1. are they a fighter, 2. are they remotely relevant to this campaign, and 3. do I have something funny to say about them. I cannot stress enough how important item 3 is in the decision process; do not make requests, my muse speaks to me and that is how the characters (and, to be honest, classes) are chosen.

Cassandra de Rolo: Yes! According to the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting (not reborn) she's multiclassed into fighter! Anyway that plan to go to the ziggurat went well, huh? totally normal and great. I like to think that due to her rogue levels she saw Fearne march down the ziggurat steps and just peaced out and has been chilling in Pike's little cabin ever since. 4/10: normal "is the world ending" concerns but otherwise she's having maybe the best day anyone on the Whitestone War Council can.

Jarett Howarth: he's specifically avoiding Bells Hells because motherfuckers keep teleporting from Marquet and not bringing any fusaka. This, plus normal "putting the Pale Guard on a war footing and also there's a really mad goat lady in the garden" bumps him up to a 6/10.

Orym: my serious thoughts about the space made for Chetney, FCG, and Imogen to step up aside I honestly think the semi-joking narrative of Orym going off in a huff and working out his feelings quite literally via the power of elaborate bodyweight calisthenics of the sort that grant you 20 Dex and 10 Str would be good for him. Allow yourself a little pettiness, Orym; it's good for the soul. 5/10 because I don't fucking know; we'll see next game.

Ariks Eshteross: I hope he's at peace and buried next to his love as requested; I still haven't gotten around to making those cookies actually and frankly I've had much more of an eye on the gunpowder tea shortbread. 0/10; I like to think he has found true rest.

Bertrand Bell: These motherfuckers have not visited the grave of their namesake at ALL. Traipsing around the Raven Queen's temple - literally everyone but Laudna and FCG has wandered over to that corner of the city - and NO ONE has taken a moment to pause and reflect. He died as he lived: everyone kind of setting him aside for more important matters except for followers of the Raven Queen. 8/10 because hopefully he was entertained by the raven show that got put on but also, come on man you couldn't stop by at all?

FRIDA: I have to imagine things in Vasselheim are wild and it's going to be missing FCG hours, but at least they're in great company! 5/10; they're a pretty even-keeled robot all things considered but the situation is pretty tense.

Otohan Thull: My sole regret about how great this episode is and the fact that we're dropping into the Fey Realm for a bit to have some much-needed time to regroup is that we are likely delaying their richly deserved demise. Anyway everyone's beloathed Palpatine knockoff is unfortunately super unflappable; another reason why they are boring as shit and why I very much want Bells Hells to make the bridge a little bit bloodier on the way up. 3/10.

Percival Friedrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III: Here's the thing. All things considered, his personal position is stressful, but not terrible. The ziggurat did not blow up; Gwen appears to either have not told him about her Delilah incident or did so in such a way that he didn't realize what was going on; he doesn't seem to have noticed the break-in into his parents' bedroom yet; Allura was reassuring re: Whitestone likely being safe (although...it's on a ley nexus so watch out!); and he got to deliver the line "ever since I met you, I knew you were destined for stupidity" which is actually how he specifically blows off steam. On the other hand, every single window in the castle has been destroyed, Allura had to leave, and I just checked and confirmed that Pike does not have the mending cantrip. Maybe one of the local clerics does? Maybe one of his kids does? Maybe Vilya or Ebenold does? Maybe Grog's in town and can be convinced that the role of the Grand Poobah etc etc is fixing windows? 6/10.

#d&d class breakdown tracker #(the new generic tag no one asked for but i need) #critical role #critical role spoilers

[montrealmadison]

Congratulations on 400 followers! I’m newish to the fandom and your blog was one of the first I followed!

Pair: Nursey/Dex

Song: 28

Vibes: first date (can include smut if it fits in)

Congratulations again!!!!

thank you so much and welcome to the fandom!! this is only the second time i've written nurseydex and it's an honor to do so for you ❤️ i did not manage to squeeze the smut in but i did provide the lead-up so i hope that's acceptable. please enjoy these banana nut muffins being dorky and awkward on their two first dates

28. nurseydex + first date + I Love You More Than You Think by Rizzie Kicks for @hrtstppr95

I think that we know that we know each other really well I know I wanna know you for the rest of my life Because no matter the length of time that’s gone by When I see you, it’s fine It’s like I just saw you last night 

Dex is thinking about why fancy restaurants invest in stupid shit when Nursey says, “Poindexter, I don’t think this is working.”

Their table is a good one, tucked into a private corner and partially hidden by a big potted plant. The downside to this is that apparently nobody thought to install overhead lighting in this swanky Boston seafood bar, and the candle holder—which, for some reason, is shaped like a miniature lobster wearing a chef’s coat—is doing a terrible job at casting light on the worried expression that Nursey is wearing. Dex looks down at his clenched hands in his lap and can’t help but mirror what he can see of the frown.

read more below or on ao3 | request a fic here

God, he knew he was going to fuck this up. Dex doesn’t do a lot of standing on ceremony, but even he can admit that first dates are a big deal, that they deserve care. When Nursey had come to him with this grand plan for a fancy, candlelit dinner, his treat, he’d known it might be uncomfortable, that he might have to pretend to get it. This kind of thing isn’t him, not at all.

But it is Nursey. He looks right here, casually elegant in a blazer he doesn’t wear to games, half-empty glass in his hand with the ice clinking soft at the bottom. He’s been so excited for this, talking it up all week to anyone who’d listen. Of course it’s Dex who doesn’t fit in. Four years in this weird parallel world to the one he’s used to and he still can’t make himself take the shape of someone who belongs in both.

“No,” he agrees, eyes dropping back to his hands. There’s a long fresh scar along the base of his thumb, the brightest thing in the room. “Sorry.”

“Shit—Dex, no.”

Nursey’s hand appears in his field of view, warm and brown and stark against the tablecloth. Dex looks up, surprised, and finds Nursey’s face much better lit and clearly concerned.

“I just meant, like—you look uncomfy, dude.” He bounces the outstretched hand lightly on the table until Dex reaches up to still it with his own. “Are you having a good time?”

“Oh.” He feels wrongfooted by how much Nursey notices. “Uh, yeah, I guess… not really.” 

The thought’s only out there for half a second before he scrambles after how wrong it sounds in the air between them. “I mean, with you, yeah. But it’s, um, fancy here. Didn’t wanna… ugh, it’s stupid.”

“It’s not.” Nursey considers the watery Coke in the bottom of his glass, then drains it in one. “That’s not on you, ‘kay? I should have thought of that.”

The ensuing silent discussion, born of many years of finely honed skill at arguing silently on the ice, leads to an agreement that they need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible. Nursey flags down the server for the check; Dex lets go of Nursey’s hand on the table and spends the next ten minutes cussing out the stupid lobster, who, thankfully, does not respond.

They don’t speak again until they’re back in Nursey’s (asshole) Jeep. The parking lot is packed; the only space they’d been able to find is out in the farthest row from the restaurant, looking down the hill that faces Route 9. The air is freezing in the way that precedes a blizzard. Every leaf is crackling with frost, and even with the doors closed and the engine shuddering to life, Dex can see his breath.

He can see Nursey’s, too, when he says, “Dude, I’m really sorry.”

“S’okay.” Dex shivers. “Really. Not your fault I can’t hang.”

“Poindexter, come on.” The collar of Nursey’s sweater is folded funny over the top of his coat. Dex’s eyes stick on it. “That’s not it. I should have picked somewhere we would both have fun.”

Asshole Dex says in his head, Oh, you think? 

Civilized Human Dex, perched on his other mental shoulder, says, Hey, you agreed to this. Be an adult. 

Dex the Walking Basket Case tips his head back into the seat and wonders how long the chirps would last if he fessed up to talking to himself like this. Out loud he says, “It’s really okay, Nurse. ‘Sides, night’s young.”

Nursey turns the heat up as high as it’ll go, makes that noise that means okay, I’ll bite. He reaches over and folds Dex's fingers into the warmth of his palm, a conciliatory gesture that Dex can never admit makes him feel all soft in the middle like a homemade Bittle pie. “That’s true,” he says. “Any ideas?”

Dex leans on the cold window, lets it chill his overheated skin. Without really thinking about it, he says, “We could go skate.” 

It’s more to break the silence that’s fallen than anything else. When he turns back around, though, it’s to find Nursey looking at him with interest.

“What, at Faber?”

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t it locked?”

Against all odds, Dex finds himself smirking. “Come on, Nurse, I’m the captain. You think I don’t have keys to our own rink?”

Nursey’s grinning too, now. This is what Dex loves and hates about him, the way it comes so easily. He never wants that to change, no matter how much he used to tell himself otherwise. Despite this failure of a night, he thinks, he’s happy.

“Well,” Nursey drawls. “‘Swawesome.”

He pulls their hands apart and squeezes Dex’s thigh twice. Dex bats him away, smile stretching despite himself, and says, “Just drive.”

---

Faber is cold and quiet, no signs of life but the hum of the heating vents far above. Dex hits the ice first, sketches a long, curving line towards the box and then back toward the bench. He can’t really see Nursey, but hears him follow through the dark just the same.

The air between them is suddenly charged, heavy. They don’t speak. They don’t even really skate together, each carving their own loops at opposite ends of the ice, watching each other out of the corners of their eyes. Dex feels oddly naked. It’s a weird combination of silk tie and suit pants and his grimy skates, marked up by the years.

He stops on the blue line, bracketed by a big white square of moonlight. The windows are gorgeous, especially without the fluorescents to compete, framing the sky and the spreading branches of the linden tree that Shitty always told the story about getting stuck in. In three or four months they’ll play their last game here, a thought that settles leaden and cold in Dex’s stomach. He watches a cloud pass over the moon. If there’s someone out there to hear him, he thinks, then let them hear him wish, desperately, for five more minutes.

Someone does hear, because there’s sudden warmth at his back. Nursey’s chin settles heavy on his shoulder, and his hands curl around Dex’s bare forearms. Dex leans back and lets Nursey hold him for no reason other than that he likes to, and Dex likes it when Nursey likes the things he does.

“Feel better?”

It’s a whisper. Dex’s whole body goes cold, then hot.

“Yes,” he says.

“Good,” says Nursey, nosing into the side of Dex’s neck. “Nice save.”

Dex shrugs and feels Nursey’s head move with him. He has the weirdest sense that the two of them have become the same being, moving in tandem, breathing as one. “I wouldn’t mind doing dinner again,” he says. “Don’t want you to think it wasn’t a good date.”

Nursey frees his thumbs from where they’re tucked under his fingers and runs his hands lightly up and down Dex’s arms. “Well, I’m flattered,” he says. “Still. We’re just two college idiots, man, no need for fine dining just yet. Sorry.”

Annoyance sparks in Dex’s gut. He was starting to enjoy this, feels like he doesn't need to be reminded every five minutes of how sorry they both are about the whole thing. “Will you stop apologizing,” he groans, and goes to turn around, but Nursey’s massive hands clamp down swiftly on his arms, and he freezes in place.

“No,” Nursey says.

Dex’s heart is suddenly slamming against his ribs, just like that. Huh. Mood officially un-killed.

“As a matter of fact,” he continues, “I was thinking about how to make it up to you.”

Oh—oh. 

Dex is not the poetry guy of the two of them, but Nursey makes him feel like that last long look before a kiss. Maybe they don’t make sense together. Maybe they’re only going to belong in each other’s lives for a little while. College relationships can be like that. But here, now, Dex is in the place where he and Nursey became a team twice, and that means something. Dex knows it does.

“Yes,” he says.

Nursey finally releases him and spins him around so they’re facing each other. He quirks an eyebrow, but he’s smiling, and the moon in his eyes is huge and bright.

“You didn’t even hear my proposition, Poindexter. I had this whole—”

Dex cuts him off with a kiss. The two of them together might not be logical or satisfying, but they’re a damn good twist ending, and besides. The night is young, and he knows what he wants.

When he says yes again, Nursey just shakes his head, laughs, and pulls him towards the tunnel to the locker room.

#will poindexter #derek nurse #nurseydex #omgcp #omgcheckplease #my writing #efickegster 2024 #this was such a fun one #i would really like to write the smut this was just getting too long #would def come back to this one #anyway ENJOY

[yourtwistedlies]

found these online-. we love dex <3 we need a dex appreciation month. our technopath is always working behind the scenes. dex deserves the world <3 our cinnamon roll. also- apologies in advance, i couldn’t resist the 2nd one.

#books #random #keeper of the lost cities #kotlc #kotlc fandom #dex dizznee #can we make #we love dex dizznee #a thing #sophie foster #keefe sencen #biana vacker #fitz vacker #linh song #tam song #marella redek #maruca chebota #technopathicredhead #cinammon roll #dex appreciation month needs to happen #the black swan #kotlc memes #kotlc deleted lines #dex deserves better #dex deserves the world #stop forgetting dex petition

[1rsoldiersince2012]

Bound by Law (Matt Murdock x Reader)

Words: 2284 (chapter 43)

43. my world was falling apart

"I said I will figure this out, Micheal, and I did. With some help, of course." Your lips twitch into a half-smile, and you shake hands with Teneke outside the hearing room in the corridor. His grip is strong and confident, matching yours. The accountant, almost turned criminal, just hours ago, but you managed to save him. His smile was your second-best reward, first, obviously being money.

"I'm still holding onto that favor, you know." Teneke's hand slips out of your grasp and he fixes his jacket. 

"I've already done the paperwork, you can return home now." You start walking with Teneke matching your step. Glancing back, you notice Dex and Ray speaking in the doorway of the room you've just left.

"I'm sure Kelly missed me these days, it's been a bit tough when we got to know... I shouldn't say this."

"What? What's been tough?" You fix the strap of your briefcase, preventing it from sliding down your shoulder, and look at Teneke, he's suddenly flustered.

"I promised Kelly not to tell anyone, since it's still so early, but you just saved my ass..." His shoulders slump forward, but the smile doesn't leave his face, "We're having a baby! I know that it's not our age to have kids, but-"

"Hey, Kelly is a strong woman, you two will be great parents, age is just what's written in your passport," you two go outside and the cold wind messes your hair. Teneke stands on the sidewalk, stopping in front of you. You slightly poke his chest with your finger, "it's more important what's here, in your heart."

"Not only the best lawyer in the state, but also the one with the best advice. Thank you, y/n, truly." Teneke opens his arms, going in for a hug. 

You welcome the hug, feeling Teneke's hands firmly on your back but then a sound deafens you for a moment... A shot. Teneke's hands loosen, his smile fades and you watch in shock as his body slumps on the sidewalk, just outside the FBI building. You notice the blood patch on your coat, blood from Teneke's chest, and a red pool surrounding the non-responsive body of your client.

The time seems to slow down, perhaps you'd think that it stopped completely, if it wasn't for the gloved hands grabbing you by your shoulders, yanking your briefcase to the ground and pushing you inside a car, quickly driving off.

*** 

You can feel the wetness on your cheeks, since the cold hits it with more ferocity. Have you been crying this whole time? But how long have you been in this car? You couldn't tell because the world has been blurry from your tears ever since Teneke slipped out of your grasp.

"You think you can talk about us to feds?"  The guy in front of you swings his gun before your face, trying to make you scared. And it works. You finally regain your senses and notice the men in the car. Thick Russian accent. "Teneke deserved that for snitching. You're gonna get your share too."

The SUV hits the curb and the one with a gun sends a glare to the driver. Two other men continue to look straight ahead, sandwiching you in the backseat. They were unpredictable, you didn't know what to expect when you'll finally reach the 'base' and what will the 'boss' say? Is he going to kill you? Drown you? Cut you open while you're still alive? Poison you and pretend that you overdosed? You could only imagine the variety of headlines in tomorrow's Bulletin. Will Urich write about you? Will he be satisfied that his story will become a success? Everyone loves a good murder... And a good suicide. So which one is it going to be for you?

He's here. The Devil. Appeared out of nowhere in... red suit? Well that's an upgrade since you last had to deal with him.

***

"He's here!" One of the kidnappers shouts, pushing you back onto the backseat with less strength than he used before, but you still hurt your wrist. Long hours spent locked in the car while waiting for the darkness to fall on Hell's Kitchen, you felt cold in every bone in your bone, making you stiff as a stick.

You watch in shock how he knocks out ten men and stands straight again, as if nothing had happened. As if it wasn't the battle that he, heavily outnumbered, was supposed to lose. You quickly look around and notice the lying gun next to you, and instinctively, grab it. "Don't come any closer!" You load the gun, pointing it at the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. Matt doesn't need eyesight to know that your hands are shaking terribly, that you're taking short breaths, not getting enough oxygen in your lungs. He knows you're scared, terrified.

"Put the gun down." Matt takes a step towards you.

"I said, don't come closer." You step back, making the distance the same as it was before.

"I don't want to hurt you, y/n." Matt risks another step, hearing how a drop of sweat rolls down your forehead. He can smell your anxiety, Teneke's dried blood on your light coat, ruining it for forever, and your dried, salty tears.

"Oh yeah, as if I'm going to believe a guy dressed like that, who's been stalking me since God knows when!" You support your right hand with your left, feeling the gun getting heavier with each second. Having your father teach you a little bit of how to use a gun, you believed that you could use it now, maybe not kill the devil, but seriously hurt him.

"You're gonna hurt yourself, please, put it down." Matt risks two steps, you take a deep breath and fire a shot to the right, hitting a concrete wall, Matt ducks down, not expecting such an aggressive move from you.

"I'm not kidding, asshole!" You step over a body, visibly shaking like a leaf.

"You don't wanna do this-"

"Why are you here? WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS HERE?"

Your voice rings painfully loud in the building, and in Matt's ears, he doesn't remember you ever behaving like that. Maybe that's what it felt like having a wild animal pushed into a corner.

"Answer me!" You shout again.

"I want to protect you." Matt says deeply, thinking over his possibilities. He could knock the gun out of your hand, but this may break your fingers, and he doesn't want to do it. He could just run at you, and hope you don't shoot him, but something in his gut was telling him, that you would not hesitate to do it.

"I don't need protection." You rasp out, firing another shot, now to the left, Matt ducks again, "I don't need anyone!" You say, feeling how tears were running down your cheeks, you were lying, you desperately needed Matt, the only one who shared something similar with you. "And especially, I don't need you!" You aim right at him, and pull the trigger, closing your eyes, but only hear a faint click.

Matt exhales loudly and hurries towards you, catching you just in time, before your knees hit the floor, you cry into his shoulder, involuntarily catching the smell of sweat and blood, that has soaked into his new costume.

"Shh, it's okay, it's okay." Matt gently rocks you, pressing you harder into his chest, when your cries become louder. "You're safe now."

You thought of yourself lesser than the trash bag, lying in Hell's Kitchen, but someone, Matthew Murdock, thought the world of you, but you had yet to understand it. 

"They killed him." You sob, gripping him by his broad shoulders, feeling the rough material of the costume, the empty gun slides out of your grasp. "I held his dead body in my arms." You come to your senses, pulling yourself away from the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. 

"Y/n..." He begins, but you're shaking your head like crazy.

"This... this is all your plan, right? You work with them. You work with him, right? Fisk? You're his puppet?" You take a big step back, and Matt feels as if you're rejecting him, not the city's vigilante. 

"What are you talking about?"

"You're here to 'save me' so you could take me to him or just kill me on your way? You know what I did, of course, if Wesley knew, he told you too." You blabber, making more distance between the two of you. The only way out was... The was no way out of here. At least you didn't see any open doors or corridors.

"What Wesley knew, y/n?" Matt tries to come closer to you again, silently cursing himself for letting you out of his grasp earlier.

"Don't act like you don't know, Devil of Hell's Kitchen." You say the name with venom in your voice. "You're the problem of this city. You all are. Crazy rich men thinking they could just come here and destroy everything. And you-" 

"Y/n-" Matt slowly slides towards you, holding his arms up, trying to reason with you.

"You're the worst of them all! You cost me that job-"

"He was gonna frame you! Benowitz didn't give a shit about your career, he was throwing you into the fire!"

"How did you know? Why do you care so much about me? I'm no one, I'm not the President, I'm not the city's Major." You hug yourself, hoping that your ruined coat could still make you warm.

"Just because you're not high in power, it doesn't make you unimportant." 

"No, it does. In this city, everything is done with power and money. I think you know it better than anyone else." He's just a step away. He could grip your shoulder and lock you in his arms, and shake those crazy thoughts away. But he lets you talk. "Why did you bring me back to my flat? How did you know where I live? Are you stalking me?"

"No, I was after the Russians." Matt's voice is firm and deep.

"Sure, you can say all you want because at the end of the day, I'm just another crazy woman that you've saved. Great, enjoy your first page in tomorrow's newspaper, devil." You spit, turning your head to look for an exit once more, but then Matt grabs your elbow and harshly yanks you into his body. 

"I'm here not to hurt you, trust me. Can you trust me, y/n?" He rasps out, listening to your racing heartbeat.

"You think you're above the law, but you're not," you try to look him into the eyes, but only see the red glass built into the helmet, "when the truth comes out, and you'll be behind bars, I'll be the first one to visit you, just so I could look in your eyes and say that you got what you deserved." Your breathing is erratic, you try to distance yourself with your palms pressed on his chest as much as possible, but his grasp on you is too strong. He hesitates for a moment before he dives to meet your lips, in a single, yet bruising kiss. The edge of his helmet, especially the nose, is pressing into your cheek, scraping your skin. You squirm, trying to deny his kiss, but vigilante's tongue still manages to make way into your mouth-

But then you step onto his foot with your high heel, finally freeing yourself, and slap his cheek, hurting your hand when it collides with his helmet, yet the impact with his skin is made, as the Devil grabs his cheek.

"You, stay away from me!  Or I'll call the cops on you!" You make way towards one of the doors, pulling them, yet they don't open. Matt stands still, listening to you furiously trying to open one door after another, breathing heavily as panic engulfs you again, until, at last, you open the doors and disappear outside the building, your heels scraping the asphalt loudly. One guy groans, waking up after the harsh treatment from the Devil, but Matt throws a billy club at his head, knocking him out once again.

*** 

What has gotten into him? Why did he try to kiss you by force? The devil has truly possessed his mind; he's never been this reckless. Not with the suit on. Sure, getting rejected as Matt Murdock hurt, but getting rejected by a woman he loves... Love. Was this feeling in his chest, love? Is that what made him go through fire and blood to save you... Just to be someone you lash out on? And the thing you said... What have you done? What was so bad that you thought Fisk has sent the devil to kill you? 

Matt now understood just how little he knew about you and how much he had to learn as both - devil and Matt Murdock. But now he had to go and be there for you. Without the mask.

*** 

"Y/n? Y/n!" Dex's voice brings you back to reality, causing you to lift your eyes from the ground. Only now you understood that you've been walking near the dock, counting your steps to calm yourself down. You finally notice him, wearing a bulletproof vest, and he runs up to you, almost out of breath.

You don't respond, you just physically can't force yourself to say a single word, so you welcome his arms, they engulf you like a shelter, protecting you from the strong wind, tightly pushing you against his bulletproof vest, and you feel him resting his chin on your head, leaving an air-kiss to your hair. "Come on, now, you're safe. I'm with you now. I'm here."

The sirens should deafen you again, but you don't hear them, don't see the flashing lights behind Dex, only see the darkness of Dex's jacket and the mint smell fills your senses, erasing today's horrors. At least for a moment. 

#matt murdock #marvel daredevil #foggy nelson #matt murdock x reader #bound by law #netflix daredevil #matts superhearing complicates things for you #lawyers #daredevil #marvel #benjamin poindexter

[spaceangst]

the vacker legacy and their golden boy: fitz vacker

welcome to my new psychoanalyzing kotlc characters series! i thought i’d start with fitz because this particular reread of the series has brought up some interesting facets in his character i had previously overlooked. i’ll try to keep this objective (focusing on canon and what shannon has written) but i’ll also include some of my personal opinions about him in a separate section at the end, to keep my bias out of it.

(apologies for how long these are going to get, i’m having a little too much fun with them!)

now.

fitzroy avery vacker.

it’s no secret that sophie is infatuated with him from the moment she meets him. but that’s sophie. this is about fitz (and while i do mention the love triangle situation and how it develops, it’s not really about the ships - that deserves it’s own moment to shine.) it’s also important to remember that the series is from sophie’s perspective. this is an unreliable narrator, and it shows us fitz through sophie’s eyes, but also through the other character’s eyes. 

from the start, we’re told that fitz is the golden boy, the youngest telepath to manifest in the elven world and an incredibly powerful one at that. he grows up as a part of the vacker family, which is quite possibly the most powerful family in the lost cities, regardless of who the councillors are. all the elves grow up with money, but fitz grows up with status. what sets him apart from biana is how this status evolves between the two of them as the vacker legacy itself unravels.

in the first book, fitz is, from a writer’s standpoint, boring. he’s too perfect, never making mistakes, and busy being handsome and smart. obviously, given that the series is from sophie’s point of view, it makes sense that her gateway to the world remain untainted, regardless of her feelings for him. where we really start to get to know fitz is in exile. we get to see that perfection shatter entirely, and as a writer, it’s beautiful. fitz is ugly when he’s mad, shouting and screaming and blaming everyone but himself - outwardly. it’s no secret that he thinks highly of himself as the golden boy of the vacker family, and it’s hard to imagine that he doesn’t place some of the blame on himself for not being his dad’s first choice - or being able to fix alden. 

still, his anger is a remarkable facet of his personality - and just what makes him a great foil to keefe. we’ve all seen his temper flare up in exile, blaming sophie for the memory break going wrong.

fitz isn’t used to things going wrong - as i’ve mentioned in other posts, he’s a creature of perfection of habit. he’s used to being the best, and while he admires sophie’s powers and her strength, that doesn’t mean he necessarily knows how to accept it with grace. in other words, he’s never been second best. 

despite all the kids being young, fitz is the oldest of sophie’s group at the time. and his reaction shows his age, but not his maturity. he’s quick to blame and reacts without thinking - his anger brings out parts of him that he normally doesn’t reach for. fitz is always the one who prefers plans and thinking things out, and rarely do we see him like this. as a reader, it’s easy to hate him for this reaction - because we know that it’s not sophie’s fault. and the rational fitz is supposed to know that too - and he does.

kind of.

fitz’s greatest weakness as a character is that he doesn’t grow from this outburst. it’s not the first, and it’s not the last either. he’s a prideful guy - and with reason, he has a lot to be proud of. he’s not the best at apologizing either - it’s a cycle, where he gets mad, has an outburst, and apologizes with gifts to fix things. 

this wouldn’t be such a big deal, i mean all of us have different love languages, right? but there’s a constant in the people he gets mad at (neverseen and related villains regardless. that’s justified anger, even at alvar, although that’s a little more complicated) and it’s:

1. sophie 2. keefe 3. dex

starting from the last, but not the least, dex. even after it’s revealed in (i believe) lodestar, that dex used to eat alone in his alchemy sessions and the vackers weren’t necessarily the nicest to him, snobby over their status in the elven world etc., we see him get mad at dex for hesitating over the situation with alvar. it’s particularly interesting, considering we never really see fitz bond with dex, just dex tell sophie that he’s going to be nicer to the vackers now that he understands them better. this is apparent to be a little more one sided in their interactions, and it gets worse with the reveal that alvar has “forgotten” his memories. fitz is ready to condemn him, but when dex isn’t, it upsets him. 

remember, alvar was a part of the group that kidnapped and tortured sophie and dex. his supposed crush and his friend. and yet, both of the victims are feeling a little more kind hearted than fitz, who is alvar’s brother, yes, but it’s also been made clear that he isn’t as close to alvar as biana is. and yet.

as for keefe, his reasons for hating keefe make sense. and they don’t. if anything, he should be able to understand where keefe is coming from, especially since he *does* seem to be aware of keefe’s feelings for sophie. and despite the fact that they’re supposed to be best friends, he’s the least sympathetic to keefe’s situation. he’s betrayed, of course, they all are, and he’s angry about it, because of course he is. that’s normal - and it all adds up. where things get weird is when we realize that fitz doesn’t know that much about keefe. sophie’s the first one up to his house and keefe even says he doesn’t bring friends home, but it’s clear that he’s never talked about it with fitz.

fitz also has a tendency to not take keefe seriously, which the other characters all do an extent, but they know when to take him seriously and when to not. but fitz misses a lot of keefe’s growth and he still sees keefe as this weird kid that skipped a grade and likes to play pranks. keefe’s a shell of the person fitz knows at this point, and this is something they both need to come to terms with.

fitz’s pride comes into the picture here, manifesting as willful ignorance. he doesn’t know about keefe’s situation because, quite frankly? he didn’t want to sympathize with dex either. he’s a proud guy and this is GOOD characterization but. he kind of looks like a jerk.

in regards to sophie, these scenes sum up both how he feels about her and why i think they’re not good together:

i’ve talked a little about fitz and perfection and why he sees sophie as perfect even though it feels like he shouldn’t - and i don’t want to rehash all that so i’ll leave a little link to some thoughts i had regarding a scene in stellarlune, so you can check it out here. warning: stellarlune spoilers. the non spoiler version here: fitz craves perfection. his world was always perfect, and so was he. he’s the golden boy, after all, isn’t he?

what makes it so hard to have sympathy for him, after all i am an eldest daughter in an indian family with gifted kid burnout and a queer identity crisis - i know pressure lol it’s all i’ve ever known - is that he simply can not let go. he expects that painful level of perfection from himself, and it’s sad that they can’t have a little fun with the chandelier incident. he thinks that sophie would expect that kind of perfection from him, and for that reason, he thinks the problem is his levitating.

obviously lol, it’s not, but the boy  but he also expects that kind of perfection from others, and thinks that others ALSO want that perfection, as seen in how he handles the news that sophie has found out who her genetic mother is. 

more on THAT later. i doubt i’ll be able to stay objective on that scene so i’m saving it for the end of this little piece. (which is not as little as i was hoping, but if the people are interested, i could do a part two where i answer questions instead of just winging it!)

the second scene’s literally from the next page, but his pride and focus on perfection converge in on telepathy. sophie’s better than him, and there’s this undertone that this bothers him. he’s losing - and perfection always wins. here it is again - sophie’s ridiculously strong mental barriers. the point of trust. 

part of the reason the sophitz relationship was doomed to fail from the start is the emphasis fitz places on their abilities. but we’re cognates is a cry for the little boy who wants his place back as the best, and sophie is his return to greatness. it’s not a bad thing when done right, but fitz can’t see past that. his sense of trust is misconstrued and believes it means sharing everything, never mind the fact that sophie’s a part of a rebel organization with thoughts planted in her head that could change the world. literally. the black swan planted them there.

(is the humor helping? i feel like we’ve been bashing fitz a bit for his lack of growth and i would apologize because i do think he’s a valuable character and a well written one at that, but a bit unlikeable when it comes down to it.)

he’s had his trust broken and people have hidden things from him, but in the grand scheme of things, alvar’s betrayal is the one that cuts him the most deeply. keefe’s hurts, sure, but i could argue it’s for love triangle related reasons, more than their supposed friendship instead. (i will, actually. that’s a part of the love triangle analysis - and if you think this is long...) but nothing is really earth shattering in the sense that it deeply warps his sense of identity. he’s been hurt a lot, and he’s a traumatized kid, but he reacts with less maturity than his younger sister - and a lot of the other (younger) characters at times, which can be frustrating to see when the solution is right there.

and here we are. the most painful scene for me to read - and i haven’t even gotten around to rereading legacy yet. so. legacy spoilers ahead.

this is my warning - i’m not cutting fitz as much slack for these scenes even if i understand where he’s coming from. he’s wrong. it’s as simple as that, and i *will* explain why, but if you still believe sophie and fitz should have ended up together and plan on reminding me of that, i respect you, but please just stop reading here. 

for context, this is right after sophie finds out that oralie is her genetic mom and fitz is waiting at havenfield and tries to guess why she’s so upset. or that she’s figured out who her parents are. it becomes apparent shortly that even he doesn’t know which he’s doing.

“I get why you’re not ready to talk about it YET.”

this is supposed to be a small sentence to show how understanding he is, and it would be, if it wasn’t for the glaring YET at the end. he still expects sophie to talk about the subject sometime, and with him. but it’s weird that he’d be so relieved about it - considering how UPSET sophie is at the moment.

i tried, you guys, i really did. did i mention i was a hardcore sophitz shipper when i first started the series? only the first three books were out and i was in middle school minding my own business and even got through exile mad at fitz but hopeful. 

it was my second readthrough before neverseen dropped that had me, you know, rethinking things. and now, at 19 (yeah okay that makes me sound old but you know the books have been out for a while now so), it’s easy to see why. sophitz is every little kid’s dream come true. your crush likes you back and it’s all as magical as you thought it would be. except it isn’t, because we tend to only see the good in people we like. sokeefe is the slow burn because it takes time to build up to a relationship and it’s not going to how you think it will. 

I DIGRESS. this next excerpt is where i get really upset because fitz just does not listen. he pushes and he pushes and he pushes and god, you would think he’d get it. 

things he gets points for: not lashing out at her immediately and holding back on his anger

things he does not get points for: well, you’ve read the scene too, right?

sophie says it best: he. just. wasn’t. listening. 

and he also takes it upon himself to decide for her, who it is, even though sophie is clearly so very painfully obviously distressed. i mean, for anyone in his position, this is a major jerk move, but you know, it’s fitz, so he’s going to keep it perfect. 

and just when we think he’s finally understood, just as i was thinking he’s getting better at reading situations, he brings up the matchmaking thing. 

y’all, he acts like her not being matchmakable is a problem for both of them, even though it technically doesn’t affect her the way it affects him. she’s said it herself, that she has reservations about the whole thing, and it’s not even something she considers her future to be. 

“you don’t want it either - you know you don’t.”

they might both be telepaths, but fitz projects himself onto sophie a lot because of that. it gets worse after they become cognates because it’s an even greater honor and they’re doing it together. 

but they’re not the same. nowhere near it. it’s this scene that made me realize that fitz hasn’t been seeing sophie - he’s been seeing her potential and everything she could be, and that’s why he’s so fixated on the matchmaking lists. of course, matching with the most powerful elf the lost cities has ever known would restore his family name. it would be perfect, really, the most powerful elf and the second most powerful telepath the lost cities have ever known, matched together. 

i could say more about him claiming that sophie’s privacy is less important than her future, as if the two aren’t one in the same, but i’d like to overlook that and pretend it’s just his entitlement and his view of matchmaking as the be all end all creeping in and nothing more.

so.

that was a lie.

“I… don’t think you’ve thought this through. But of course you haven’t. It’s late. You’ve had a long day with lots of huge stuff. So… can we just agree to not make any decisions right now?”

the way he’s so sure she hasn’t thought this through is a double edged sword. not only does it show a kind of possessive edge over her, where he’s constantly speaking for her and OVER her, it also shows us how he’s convinced it’s still about him.

fitz. my buddy. my man. listen to the girl.

he doesn’t bother giving her reasoning a chance and steamrolls ahead with his own, which we know sophie hates anyone doing. i mean, look at her argument with keefe in nightfall - she’s not going to stand for people speaking over her or for her. she doesn’t want their protection.

what’s wrong with this scene is that fitz writes off everything sophie is feeling and saying, and the key word here is ruin.

ruin.

instead of being understanding to sophie’s upbringing and her unique situation, he can’t look past his own return of the king (a lotr reference, shannon would you be proud even if i’m slandering your character?) to elven society. in fact, it says a lot that he sees her as the vacker redemption arc even when sophie herself has mentioned - to us and to HIM - that she doesn’t feel like she fits in with elven society but only if she plays by his rules. 

(feels a little like objectification, ngl, and that doesn’t sit right with me.)

he’s blinded by his status, his pride, and perfection, and that, right there, is his biggest downfall.

not the conclusion gif i was looking for but y’all this is long enough let me keep this brief.

(HAHA YOU THOUGHT i am incapable of being brief)

fitz is an incredibly consistent character when we get down to it, and he’s not as complex-ified as the other characters are. well, not the way the other characters are. biana’s arc is about improving as a person and getting stronger, dex’s is about overcoming internalized prejudice, keefe’s is about chosen family and trauma, etc. fitz’s character arc is almost backwards - from a writing standpoint, this would be a really cool villain origin story. not that fitz is a villain, but over time, rather than his character becoming a better person, he starts out perfect until that perfection crumbles and we get to see the perfectionist that so desperately craves a return to his old normal, with everyone in this new normal. he’s trying so hard to fit into old clothes, outgrown shoes, and slip back into his old memories. 

as a love interest, no. i could go further about his “interest” in linh being driven by her same power, but i have no doubt that matchmaking would still be of great interest to him, so i’ll leave it at that.

I DONT HATE FITZ. not as a person, nor as a character. i don’t see him as the most likable, but you guys, he’s not a villain. he’s a teenage boy who needs to work through his issues before he gets anywhere near sophie, but he’s been through a lot so i’m trying to cut him some slack. he’s an incredible asset to the kotlc team and his need for a plan tends to keep them from getting themselves in more trouble. he’s helped sophie improve her abilities vastly, and indirectly, pushed her to become better. quite literally, the story would not exist without him. we need fitz as a character because he makes the story what it is, but as an individual i just think we wouldn’t get along.

-k

(any questions are appreciated and i would love to have some canon discourse! i know in the quest for more diversity in the kotlc characters, discourse tends towards that, understandably, but i do believe there’s a lot to be uncovered in canon and i would love to talk about it more! yes, more than 3,219+ words about it LOL)

#kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #sophie foster #fitz vacker #keefe sencen #biana vacker #dex dizznee #tam song #linh song #marella redek #stina heks #maruca chebota #jensi babblos #sandor #grady ruewen #edaline ruewen #kotlc psychoanalysis #k talks too much about kotlc #k rereads kotlc #sophitz #sokeefe #fitzphie #team foster keefe #shannon messenger #kotlc everblaze #kotlc neverseen #kotlc exile #black swan #kotlc legacy #kotlc discourse

[fucked-up-mover-shaker]

BOOK 10: ELYSIAN SIGN UPS

ALRIGHT! I HAVE ENOUGH INTEREST, IT IS TIME!

First off, the outline of everything we will be using in our creation of book 10, or Elysian (Endgame is a great name, but Marvel), as I call it.

Next, everything I'm using in Elysian.

I am also tagging everyone who has helped me come up with ideas, as well as edited, since we share one braincell, and have a lot of similar things.

Sorry for cut it's LONG

@moonlarked

Marellinh

Council gets overthrown

Sophie gets to kill Mr Forkle

Alvar dies in Fitz’s arms

Sophie starts an human outreach program

Jensi remains Talentless and helps other Talentless

Exillium gets to be relevant

Tiertice adopt Tam and Linh and Rayni

Fedex

Ruy appears and does something idk

Trix joins up with the gang

@the-great-gullon-incident

Biana, Stina, and Dex team up

Biana has a sword

Sophie teaches the rest of the keeper gang about lgbtq+ people

Crazy fights

Gethen and Ruy show up to do stuff

They/them Elysian

All the mysteries are finally revealed

@stopstealingtomatoes

Lady Gisela to die

Amy to have a bigger role

Lord Cassius to either formally apologize to Keefe or else shove a stick in it

T h e r a p y

Ships to finally sail

@amandayetagain

Elysian’s big naturals

frognate rings

explicit language

vertina pagetime

more void lore

Sophie strikes out on her own and forms her own group

we learn about Keefe’s human friends

Details on some of the parents top secret missions (mentioned in their unlocked files)

Embarrassing middle name for keefe

foot power

Sophie channels someone’s heart/skull, or uses telekinesis on someone’s neck (it’s them or her friends. And she’s already lost enough.)

Biana and Sophie commit arson again (Neverseen)

@you-have-been-frizzled

JENSI PAGE TIME

the triplets

Kesline

Elwin officially adopting Keefe

Biana kills somebody (can we just bring Vespra back so she can kill her)

Tam gets hurt and Linh goes batshit

Bronte with curly hair

Sophie eats sweet and sour chicken to everyone’s horror

MORE ARSON

Alina redemption arc (literally wouldn’t suggest this but Ciara is the one running it and they’re part of the Alina deserves redemption club)

Dex losing an arm (his name means right handed it’s ironic oaky!)

Tiergan punches Quan song when he tries to say something to the twins

Sandor and Giselle scenes

KESLER AND GRADY BROMANCE I CANT BELIEVE I FORGOT ABOUT THEM

Juline and Edaline being sisters

Keefe and Grady bonding

Alvar isn’t dead and gets redemption

Caprice is relevant other than just being the crazy lady

@official-kenralie-fanbase

Sophie loses it during a battle to fulfill the whole "the moonlark could tear this whole place down" thing

Sandor finally has to dance in sparkly pants

Someone punches Alden

Or Cassius

Or both. At the same time.

More of Grady's mesmerizing please and thank you

Gradaline moments

Sophie's dad reveal (maybe do a poll on who people think that should be? I'm hoping for Fintan)

Oralie actually fights in a battle

Someone finds out about Oralie and there's a bunch of drama with all the people

@ever-blaze

more jensi, dex and rayni

jensi not manifesting an ability yet playing more roles in the story (eg. fighting the neverseen with a weapon or something)

keefe and fitz friendship moments/actually being best friends again

MORE OF THE TRIPLETS !!!

more backstories? tinkers maybe?

blur or wraith or tinkers identities

the return of the amazing amy foster

keefe’s human friends (hoping at least one is a celebrity) and human world adventures

------

Next, breaking this up. Anyone can join, I just need people to help organize this, and the plan is we sort it up by character/group, and eventually break it down into chapters, ordered by what would make sense in a basic plot structure. Then we will start figuring out technical things such as who is writing what.

Simply send me an ask or message if you're interested in helping me organize this!

And, if you have any and all suggestions, feel free to tell me!

REBLOGS >>>>>> LIKES

#kotlc #kotlc fic #kotlc book 10 #elysian book #<- probably the official tag

[blanddcheadcanons]

Dex-Starr deserves all the love and happiness in the world.

‎

#dex starr #red lantern

[christinagorilenko]

Ever heard of a cyberpunk game «Dex»? Personally, I had never heard anything about this until recently; I just scrolled through the Nintendo’s e-shop game store and accidentally came across it. Since due to certain life circumstances I have a PS4 and Cyberpunk 2077, but no TV, this is the only Cyberpunk I can afford at the moment. 🥲

Dex is a 2D side-scroller game with platformer elements, focused on exploration and non-linear gameplay in the RPG genre.

Personally, I liked the game: it has a style, the soundtrack is not boring and is quite pleasant and sometimes memorable. The plot for the first time seriously surprised me, to be honest. The open world, as for me, is quite conventional and you can’t wander around it much. I didn’t like the shooting system in the game, it was always easier for me to fight enemies in hand-to-hand combat rather than having to struggle with the targeting system, but maybe this is my personal problem. The game felt short to me and felt like it didn't have enough time to flesh out certain characters, but there are certain things that would make me gladly play through the game again.

I just wanted to share my thoughts, since apparently very few people have heard about the game, which, in my opinion, is not deserved. As a fan of the Cyberpunk genre and the universe of the game "Cyberpunk 2077", this video game seemed quite not bad and I had a good time while playing it.

P.s. I apologize for the mistakes, since English is not my first language.

#cyberpunk #genre:cyberpunk #video games #video game: dex #cyberpunk aesthetic #cyberpunk art #cyberpunkgame #cyberpunk genre #futuristic #indie games #indie rp

[spagyricqueen]

Fun thoughts and details

So, I like lore. I love Forgotten Realms. I have a shelf dedicated to adventure modules and game books spanning back to AD&D 2nd ed. I've been in this thing for a while. I played the original Baldur's Gate games when they were new. And Icewind Dale. Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2.

I fell in love with everyone's favorite pale elf. Admittedly, not because of his vampirism (although, sure, I liked it. It was a fun detail). I love elves. (I just think they're neat). I have a thing for white haired characters with youthful visages. It's a mystery, truly. I think I'm beginning to understand that my attraction to Astarion beyond his vampirism might put me in the minority. That's okay. I know I'm not alone in this, at least.

He's interesting. I love his growth as a character. His ability to work through his demons, show genuine and unexpected compassion, and remain delightfully sarcastic and hilarious.

All this to say that when I approach the writing of my ridiculously long fic, I meticulously keep in mind the world Astarion lives in, as if I were a DM running a Forgotten Realms campaign. I ask questions about the distances between locations, the topography, the climate, the socio-economic structure of different cities, history, alliances, enemies, religions, ecology. I subscribed to Ed Greenwood's (creator of the Forgotten Realms setting) YouTube channel and joined his discord, just to have more resources for information. I have the wiki open constantly (I really want to insert flumphs somewhere in the story - they deserve more recognition. Especially the cloisters, they seem cute). And hey, I may get a few things wrong here in there, as many DMs do, and that's okay too. If it works for the story, who cares?

As much as I love fun head canons, my brain screeches with, "But would that exist in Faerûn? Is that how it works?" and proceed to look up medieval/historical equivalents. Keeping in mind, too, that it's a magical world, where gods exist and they are flawed.

I keep a separate file open so that I can copy/paste words that have stresses in them, even!

Selûne

Faerûn

Ancunín

I like words.

Because I take so much time with such details, I have also gone ahead and rolled up a character sheet for Astarion in my narrative. While he is now mortal, he remains an arcane trickster rogue at level 12. In my story, he's blind, so he occasionally has a disadvantage to attack rolls and his perception (which is rather high) is limited to sound, touch, and smell. However, because of his adaptations, he's cleverly learned to use the Darkness spell to his advantage.

Starting at 4th level (subsequently 8th, 10th, and 12th), he got an ability score increase, plus a dual wielding feat (I flubbed this for story reasons). I used the level 1 character sheet that came with the deluxe edition of the game, and used those as his base stats (ignoring that there were probably already applied modifiers).

Here are the new stats I gave him.

STR: 8 (-1)

DEX: 19 (+4)

CON: 14 (+2)

INT: 17 (+3)

WIS: 15 (+2)

CHA: 13 (+1)

Based on these stats, in my narrative, Astarion has an improved memory (INT) out of necessity, and has become more measured in his decisions (WIS) as a result of his condition, forcing him to think through his actions with caution. His spells are limited to those that don't require line of sight (except I did have him blindly shoot a fire bolt at a barrel during those Underdark shenanigans because PLOT). And he can't use ranged weapons. But I think he's still a very interesting rogue.

Yes, this is a long post to explain how Astarion has grown as a person in my story. Because I am nerd.

#astarion #astarion fanfic #soft astarion #writing #forgotten realms #dungeons and dragons

[kamikothe1and0nly]

Qualden or keefe x Fitz x dex if you want idk

you’re so amazing you deserve a million dollars ❤️❤️❤️/p

What’s better then 1 boyfriend? 2 boyfriends!

Thank you for leaving a request! <3

Tag list: @loverofallthingssmart @ruewen-and-rising @imaramennoodle​ @sunset-telepath @cadence-talle @where-in-the-world-are-we-blog @disasterlesbianmarella @fanartofthelostcities @sofia-not-sophie @cowboypossume​ @real-smooth @dragonwinnie-kotlc​ @cloudivity @constellations-and-kotlc @squishmallow36 @the-resident-gay @booksscienceandmath​ @xanadaus @bluedoodles0 @stellasencen @gaslight-gaetkeep-gayboss @crazedfangirl14 @three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat @callas-pancake-tree @that-glasses-dog @nyxpixels @uni-seahorse-572 @shake-the-demons-away @fucked-up-mover-shaker @katniss-elizabeth-chase (if you'd like to be removed/added let me know.)

#kamiko’s art #keeper of the lost cites #keeper of the lost cites fanart #keeper of the lost cites art #kotlc #kotlc art #kotlc fanart #kotlc dex #kotlc fitz #kotlc keefe #keefitz #fedex #keefex #keefe x dex #keefe x fitz #Dex x fitz #Dex x keefe x fitz #polyamarous

[trashcatsnark]

Wip Christmas Eve

Hewwo~ I was tagged by @nightcxty to share some WIPs a while back, I have finally done some writing I feel good about sharing so- have words~ TW: mentions of gore and blood

First WIP: Can You Feel The Sun- Chapter 85

“There is no Samurai without Silverhand,” Nancy says, V feeling a cocktail of melancholy and pride stirring in Johnny’s chest. His eyes staring at the back of Nancy’s seat. V’s hand finding his leg where his feet are propped up, squeezing the muscles there to provide a modicum of comfort or something.  “Well, on the technical level- I’d be filling in for him.”  “Hahaha... You?”  “Kerry vetted me himself,” V assures her, “Know I don’t exactly seem to the type, but different person on stage- trust me. And sides, way I see it, concert would be Silverhand’s honor.”  “That so, what's got into Kerry all of a sudden? Thought he got over this ages ago…” Nancy muses more to herself than to V. “I mean, maybe just the timing,” V suggests, shrugging her shoulders and trying to feign ignorance as she delicate tries to steer the conversation,”I mean, fuck- Silverhand’s birthday is right around the corner. Another life, another timeline- be turning 89 in just a few days.” “Swear to fuck, only number that sticks in your head is how old I’d be..”  “Doubt it,” Nancy whispers, but there’s almost a breath of a laugh around her words, “Don’t think there’s anything that could have stopped that gonk from putting himself in an early grave. Hate to say it, but people like Johnny die young and they die violently, way of the world.”  “What do you mean, people like Johnny?”  “Should know, you’re one of ‘em after all,” Nancy mutters, eyes lingering  where V bleeds against the leather.  V swallows a lump in her throat that tastes like blood. She wonders how she must look to someone like Nancy. Dex’s old question, to burn out young and die without seeing thirty or to have a long quiet life. She said back then, all that time ago, that the world doesn’t give a choice. That she wasn’t meant to choose, that sometimes those on a long quiet like find their plans cut short by a single stray bullet. But she can’t deny that people like her, like Johnny, like Jackie, like Bug- they rarely get to see their hair turn gray.  Nancy sits here, deep into her eighties with gray curls and soft wrinkles lining her face. She’s got her quiet life, she’s lived long enough to see her later years, made enough of a name and enough money to stay looking relatively young while doing it. And here’s V, freshly twenty-one, riddled with bullet holes and face a mess of bruises and blood. She’s lived on the brink of death since she was born, even if not for the relic- she’d probably find her end young. At the hands of a gang member, at the hands of her father, her sister, or any of the dangers that lurk in this city.  She wonders how Nancy feels- knowing she’ll likely outlive V.  V can’t imagine, can’t imagine seeing someone so much younger- a child to her and just knowing their story will end before her own.  The merc sucks in a lungful of smoke, lets it settle into her blood before blowing it out the window; “Point is, Ker wants to put on a show.”  She tries not to linger too much on wondering how long Johnny will live this time, beneath her skin once she’s gone. He’s not a man meant for a long life, it crushes her heart but she knows Nancy is right. Even with his edges softening, he’s not the kind of man to seek peace and quiet. But that doesn’t mean he’s any less deserving of more time, of a longer story- once more chapter, one more paragraph, one more line, one more word- he deserves that much. 

Second WIP- been writing a bit from my durge's POV, early game stuff~

No name. No home. No connections. No idea where he is.  But he knows he’s fucked.  So, there’s certainly that- he heaves a heavy sigh, scratching black claws over his short dark horns. He’ll have to figure out how to pluck the tadpole from his head and make sense of the abyss sitting inside of it, but perhaps the first step should be just figuring out where the hells he is.  His boots crush through sand, the leather thuds softly against a limp corpse. One of many that decorate the beach, crimson streaked rags cover the body. Hair matted to their greying forehead with a mix of blood and sand. The heavy gash across their skull giving away the cause of their death, the smell of drying blood burns at his nose stirring something inside of him. An ache settling within his bones, fingers twitching as thoughts of sinking his fingers through the soft meat flitter in his mind. How easily he could crack the already fractured skull, feel it break within his fingers, play in the viscera he finds inside. Only a pity they're already dead, that he'd never get to hear them scream.  What the fuck,no, no- he shakes his head like a dog throwing off water. That's, no, no, he blinks through a haze he can't name. Nudges the body again with his boot, seeing where half their body is turning purple where the blood settles. And as his heel hovers above the corpses head, impulse strikes it down, hard and swift as he crushes their skull- a smile pulls at his lips when he hears the crack of the bones and the squelch of viscera beneath his weight. Then he jolts back, as if struck, smearing blood through sand- why did he do that?  Is that the tadpole, making him violent- monstrous?  Despite the gnawing gap where a memory should lay, he can't shake the idea this isn't the first corpse he's stood over. Not the first time he’s heard the crunch of bone, watched crimson seep into the edges of his boots, nor smiled at the sight. He shakes his head, pushes through again and leaves the crushed corpse behind as he begins his march across the sand.

#cyberpunk 2077 #baldurs gate 3 #cp2077 #bg3 #aidan becker #johnny silverhand #fem v #durge #dark urge #silas durge #i don't have a proper tag for my durge oc yet lmao

[lilareviewsbooks]

More Short SFF Books!

Guys! Thank you so much for the love on my post on short SFF books! It was a lot for a tiny little blog like me lmao, and it made me feel very appreciated - thank you, again! 

I thought that because of all that love, this deserved a second edition. So, since short SFF is definitely my specialty, and I won't stop reading these novellas any time soon, here's some other SFF short books I think might be worth your time!

Also, check out part one of this list if you’d like some more books in this vein :)

The Monk and Robot Duology, starting with A Psalm For The Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers

152 to 160 pages

duology (so far!! I'm hoping and praying, Ms. Chambers!)

queer rep of all kinds, but our protagonist is non-binary! 

If you know me, then it's a surprise this didn't make it into the first edition of this list. I love Monk and Robot! They're My Favorite Books, so rest assured that they come very highly recommended!

This one follows Sibling Dex, a disciple of Allae, the god of small comforts, as they decide to change the course of their professional life and become a travelling tea monk. Along the way, they meet Mosscap, a very friendly robot, with one question - "what do humans need?" There's just one problem: robots have been living in the wild for generations, and they haven't interacted with humans since they gained consciousness. Can Sibling Dex handle this responsibility?

I hardly have the words to describe this one. This is a sci-fi, I guess, but it feels like a fantasy -- it's just so atmospheric and draws you into this utopian and equitable world full of nature and community. Monk and Robot really emphasizes the best parts of life, the best parts of humanity. It will warm your heart because you will see your life in it - in all it's smallness and its gorgeousness. It's perfect if you want something that's short, sweet, and with a conflict that doesn't span the whole entire world, but is focused instead on two people - or, I guess, on one person and a robot. 

Mandatory reading for everyone! Get your hands on a copy, you won't regret it!

Our Lady of Endless Worlds Duology, starting with Sisters of the Vast Black, by Lina Rather

176 to 192 pages

duology

sapphic rep

We're staying on theme here, with another religious-y pick. I give you: Sisters of the Vast Black! This one is about nuns! In space!

Some time into the future, the Catholic Church is alive and well. The sisters of the Order of Saint Rita live on their (get this) living ship, a gigantic animal they use to navigate between space stations and planets. I think this one is worth it just for that concept, I fell in love with it!

This book follows the Sisters as they receive a distress call from a colony, and find out that the Church's means might be more nefarious than they seem. But, mostly, it's about the sisters themselves, as they grapple with their faith, the ever-changing universe and the questionable morality of the Church. 

I loved this one! Not only are the characters very compelling, the setting is just so cool. This concept of the living space ship is so fucking neat, and the duology gets down to the nitty-gritty of it. Not to mention, the idea of religion, and contemporary religion in particular, surviving mostly unchanged into the future is so interesting! I don't know if it's me being nerdy, but I just found the concept here so, so compelling, I couldn't resist bringing these books home with me!

The Seventh Perfection, by Daniel Polansky

176 pages

standalone

I don't remember it being queer, but I could be wrong??

I guess this is also kind of religious in a way lmao. The Seventh Perfection follows Manet as she searches for someone for the God-King, who runs the kingdom she lives in, using her perfect dominion over the seven perfections to help her.

The unique thing about this book, though, is how the story is told. Instead of following Manet's perspective as she goes through her city, interviewing people, we only see one side of her dialogue. As Manet speaks to a shopkeeper, for example, we are only treated to his answers. In this manner, its up to the reader to put some pieces together.

Although it is nothing too complicated, - especially for veterans of books such as The Locked Tomb or fantasy behemoths like A Song of Ice and Fire, with their crazy amount of characters - the structure is pretty unique. Like Esme N pointed out in her Good Reads review of this one, it kind of reads as if you're a POV character in a videogame, going NPC to NPC. I'd say this one is for the anyone who likes different approaches to stories in SFF, and enjoys being a little bit confused!

Elder Race, by Adrian Tchaikovsky 

201 pages

standalone

no queer rep that I remember, either

Elder Race is an interesting one, as well. This one is definitely for fans of books with almost anthropological approaches to culture, such as The Left Hand of Darkness and A Memory Called Empire. Elder Nyr is a scientist, sent to another planet in order to explore it, who lives in his space ship. Except that, for the locals, that space ship is a giant tower, and Nyr is its mysterious sorceror of legend. Now, Lynesse comes to search for him so that he can help her deal with the threat of demon.

The result of the interaction between Lynesse and Nyr, and the fact that each of them have POV chapters, means that this reads as almost two separate books. One of them is a sci-fi, and that's Nyr's perspective, who is from a society with very high-end technology, and sees all problems as matters of science. Meanwhile, Lynesse sees everything as magical, so hers reads almost like a fantasy. It makes for such an interesting experience!

I think about this book constantly, and have been wanting to reread it for ages. I quite liked this particular approach, not to mention the concept! Plus, I love books that go deep into culture like this one. And, of course, it's from prolific and famous author Adrian Tchaikovsky, who wrote the Children of Time series, and although I haven't read the rest of his work, I've heard this is a good starting off point in case you want to get into his other books.

Princess Floralinda And The Forty-Flight Tower, by Tasmyn Muir

146 pages

standalone

non-binary rep

I'm always singing Ms. Muir praise, and that's for a reason! This one follows Princess Floralinda, who is locked up in a (guess!) forty-flight tower by an evil witch. She has placed one monster at every floor, and no prince has managed to get through the first one, let alone trudge up the stairs to rescue Floralinda.

With impeccable sense of humor, which is a trademark of Ms. Muir's fiction, we follow Floralinda's plight as she waits for someone to come rescue her - and then eventually notices no-one might be coming, after all. Her character development is astounding, and it's so satisfying to follow her. It's also just so impressive that so much can be packed into so little pages when it comes to her arc. 

And I forgot to mention - there's a fun fairy character who will help Floralinda on her way! I think it's worth reading just for that!

#book recommendations #book recs #booklr #books #queer books #lgbtq books #short books #sff books #fantasy books #sci fi books #novella #sff novella #short book #monk and robot #our lady of endless worlds #lina rather #the seventh perfection #elder race #princess floralinda and the forty flight tower #tasmyn muir